For
the record, we know very well how hydraulic fracking works.
Instead of just drilling a hole in the ground and hoping
oil comes
spurting
out the oil companies are drilling holes and forcing millions
of gallons of water down the pipes, water laced with
a toxic brew of questionable chemicals, in order to fracture
the
rocks and release as much of the trapped oil and gas as
possible. If you're having trouble envisioning my simplified
description National Geographic has prepared a short
and snappy summary.

It's great that the oil companies have developed this amazing
technology to squeeze every every last possible drop of
oil out of
the ground but they're taking a very reckless
"at-any-cost" approach. As a rational person
I think any enterprise that begins with the words "Drill
a hole and pour millions of gallons of poisonous and cancer-causing
chemicals into it" should be considered very, very
carefully.

According
to a report at least 29 known carcinogens are
used as part of the fracking process, like benzene and
toluene. Plus the process itself releases additional harmful
chemicals, like methane, into
the drinking water. There's a law that should prevent
the oil companies from poisoning the land that belongs
to all of us but the 2005 Congress, all those darned liberals
he says with tongue planted firmly in cheek, exempted hydraulic
fracking from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Thanks again,
George Fucking Bush.

Vermont has already banned fracking and several
states, like Montana and New Jersey are thinking about
doing the same but North Dakota is a lost cause as it currently
has 8000 frackin' wells and is
on schedule to drill 50,000.

All this oil would seem like good news for a
carbon -addicted America but a lot of this oil is destined
for foreign soil. We're
exporting
more oil than ever and yet prices are touching $4 a gallon
for the consumer. How about instead we take back the tax
subsidies the oil companies receive and plow that money
into renewable energy and a more robust electric grid?

Oil shill: First we drill a really deep well and then
fill it with the finest cream. Then we send kittens
down the hole to eat the cream. Once all the kittens
are underground their purring tickles the earth and
it giggles so hard it squirts up all its oil.
Senator: And that's how fracking works?
Shill: Yes.
Senator: You're certain of that?
Hack: As certain as the oil company campaign contributions
you'll lose the moment you make a big stink about the
poisons and carcinogens we're pumping into the groundwater.
Senator: Kittens it is, then.
Flack: Who could use a new catnip mouse subsidy.